“Hanging the earth upon nothing”

by FFGhost 36 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  joey jojo

  TonusOH

  "If they were being guided by a being who literally knew everything, it would have been useful for the book to offer some of this knowledge clearly and directly. Imagine telling us that the Earth was a sphere that rotated around the sun, part of a galaxy of planets that were in orbits around a star. No interpretation required, just information that would make it clear that these men had access to a source of knowledge that transcended us."

  Agree.

  Also, a heads up on mosquito related deaths and how to avoid them would have been nice too. What about the dangers of drinking contaminated water- does it say anywhere in the bible its best to boil water before consuming?

  Mosquito bites and contaminated water have caused more suffering and death than all wars in history combined.
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  joe134cd

  https://creation.com/isaiah-40-22-circle-sphere
  
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  joe134cd

  Joey jo jo: you raise some good points about other essential processes left out, that could of saved lives, and it’s vagness in other areas e.g circle vs a globe shape.

  To perhaps find answers. Its best to understand the Bibles primary theme, the audience at the time, against the environment and resources that were available to the writer.

  It must be acknowledged that the Bible is not primarily a book of History nor is it a science manual. Its primary theme is the fall and restoration of humanity through a mediator. That been said, its in the course of the narrative, that historical and scientific facts are mentioned as a by product to the restoration process.

  It important for a bible reader to understand the principles of what is written rather than how it’s written. This has always been the case. If footnotes, citations, definitions, version 0.01 & 0.02 were to be included it would of become more a legalistic code than a moral one. The whole purpose of the kingdom good news would of been lost, to an arbitrary process of grammar, and citations. These resources weren’t available to the writer at the time. Nor was the audience ,aware of, or would of been concerned about weather the earth was a circle or spherical. It’s only in recent times with the rising popularity of evolution that the bibles historical and scientific record has come under increasing scrutiny.

  Why didn’t it mention malaria, contaminated water, or kangaroos in Australia. Perhaps for the same reason that it didn’t mention the Ming dynasty in China. They weren’t relevant to the Jewish nation at the time. I guess its similar to telling people about the importance of quarantine during covid. When it falls on deaf ears. It isn’t relevant to them.

  It must also be remembered that at the time of Isiah writing about a circular earth, there were more pressing needs. That would of been on the minds of the people. The invading Assyrian army. He conveyed the the idea that the earth was circular. God saved his nation from a security threat, and this is all that the audience needed to know.
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  peacefulpete

  I stumbled upon this today, a bit belatedly for this thread but found it interesting how early Jewish Rabbis interpreted the Tanakh (OT) so colorfully and metaphorically. Notice this passage in the Mishnah, Hagigah 12b:

  § It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei says: Woe to them, the creations, who see and know not what they see; who stand and know not upon what they stand. He clarifies: Upon what does the earth stand? Upon pillars, as it is stated: “Who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble” (Job 9:6). These pillars are positioned upon water, as it is stated: “To Him Who spread forth the earth over the waters” (Psalms 136:6). These waters stand upon mountains, as it is stated: “The waters stood above the mountains” (Psalms 104:6). The mountains are upon the wind, as it is stated: “For behold He forms the mountains and creates the wind” (Amos 4:13). The wind is upon a storm, as it is stated: “Stormy wind, fulfilling His word” (Psalms 148:8). The storm hangs upon the arm of the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is stated: “And underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27), which demonstrates that the entire world rests upon the arms of the Holy One, Blessed be He.

  And the Rabbis say: The earth stands on twelve pillars, as it is stated: “He set the borders of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel” (Deuteronomy 32:8). Just as the children of Israel, i.e., the sons of Jacob, are twelve in number, so does the world rest on twelve pillars. And some say: There are seven pillars, as it is stated: “She has hewn out her seven pillars” (Proverbs 9:1). Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua says: The earth rests on one pillar and a righteous person is its name, as it is stated: “But a righteous person is the foundation of the world” (Proverbs 10:25).
  

  
  
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  waton

  The discussions in the book of Job seems to be a free for all about the meaning of life, the role of the deity[s].

  Perhaps they speculated, that the firmament, was not not firm at all, these lights above free floating entities, with no visible support.

  for the Earth, pillars pushing up. hangers pulling up, up into the void, against gravity, done by centrifugal force, the energy of movement.

  a lucky guess in the lottery of 10 thousands of wrong verses.
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  peacefulpete

  Don't follow you Wanton. I posted that simply to illustrate the free Tanahk interpretation the Jews themselves engaged in. Of course it also demonstrates they had not read into Job what some today do.
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  waton

  Don't follow you

  peacefulpete, I just wanted to show a simple, today's science based view of the matter contrasting with the 'cover all possibilities' of earlier writers, trying their best to decipher the enigma of creation. including

  The story of the old lady contradicting the astronomer by heckling, "You are wrong, young man,

  it is turtles all the way down.